From Gordes to Sénanque Abbey via the Sénancole

A beautiful, easy hike that takes you to some of the most beautiful sites in the Luberon, including the villages of Gordes and Les Bories and Sénanque Abbey.

Details

4151903
Creation:
Last update:
Last review:
  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.40 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Back to start: Yes
  • ↗
    Ascent: + 276 m
  • ↘
    Descent: - 271 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 467 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 249 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Park in the car park located below the Route de Sénanque, Place René Cassin, near the gendarmerie.

(S/E) Leave the car park, follow the road for about 50 metres, then turn right onto the small road (GR®6) which climbs steeply towards the Route de Sénanque.

(1) Turn left and follow this road for about 200 metres.

(2) Turn right onto Chemin de Granan, towards "Village des Bories" and "La Sénancole". Continue along this small tarmac road until you reach a T-junction, then turn right. Stay on this road, ignoring the various turnings on either side.

(3) At this point, a sign on the left indicates "chemin privé" (private road). Take the private road to the end, then take the small path that descends to the left under the property closed by a gate. This path leads to a small road that you take on the right to the village of Les Bories (possible visit).

(4) Take the path that starts at the exit of the village on the right under the boundary wall. This path leads to the Senancole valley, which you then follow northwards.

(5) Do not continue in the valley (the path becomes quite difficult further on), but leave it and take the good path on the left towards the hamlet of La Débroussède. Continue on this path, which climbs steeply above the valley, keeping to the right at each junction. You will reach the hamlet.

(6) Continue opposite (north-east) on the path marked by a large cairn towards Sénanque Abbey, which you will see overlooking the hamlet shortly afterwards. Walk along the right-hand side of the abbey.

(7) Leave the abbey via the small path that branches off to the right above the car park towards Gordes. This path leads to the Sénanque road, which you follow to the right for about 100 metres.

(8) Take the right path (GR®6) that descends towards Gordes. Join the Route de Sénanque and follow it for about 200 metres.

(1) Turn left, then left again at the end of the street to return to the car park where you started (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 346 m - Parking Place René Cassin
  2. 1 : km 0.35 - alt. 364 m - Route de Sénanque - Carrefour de la boucle
  3. 2 : km 0.58 - alt. 350 m - Chemin de Granan
  4. 3 : km 1.76 - alt. 317 m - Private road on the left
  5. 4 : km 2.43 - alt. 279 m - The trail starts below the village entrance - Village des Bories
  6. 5 : km 3.68 - alt. 265 m - Take the path on the left. Cross the - Sénancole (cours d'eau)
  7. 6 : km 4.93 - alt. 409 m - La Débroussède - Cairn
  8. 7 : km 6.04 - alt. 384 m - Fork in the road - Abbaye Notre-Dame de Sénanque
  9. 8 : km 6.83 - alt. 463 m - Path on the right
  10. S/E : km 8.4 - alt. 345 m - Parking Place René Cassin

Notes

A picnic area with tables is available for hikers behind Sénanque Abbey.
Check for guided tour times. Audio-guided tours are available outside these times.

Worth a visit

 Always be cautious and plan ahead when you're outdoors. Visorando and the author of this route cannot be held responsible for any accidents occurring on this route.

The GR® and PR® markings are the intellectual property of the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre.

Reviews and comments

4.1 / 5
Based on 59 reviews

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Ease of following the route
3.8 / 5
Route interest
4.5 / 5
BéFiT84
BéFiT84

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 18, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Short walk, beautiful scenery and a wonderful time at the abbey.
Personally, I found it an easy hike with a 30-minute break, and it took me 30 minutes less than expected.
Worth doing again and again and again.

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lauzerte1851
lauzerte1851

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 11, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

There are a few inaccuracies in the description, but I quickly found my way. The route is pleasant, and arriving at the back of the abbey is more surprising, as its façade is so well known but so beautiful.

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MAMAROT J-L
MAMAROT J-L

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 09, 2025
Reliability of the description : Not used / Not applicable
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : Yes

Like the previous hikers, I think it's better to start from the village of Les Bories (free parking).

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geneviève crokaert
geneviève crokaert

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : May 20, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

There is no longer a picnic area behind Sénanque Abbey. Very interesting guided tour.

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3394564416
3394564416

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of your route : Apr 26, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★☆☆ Average
Ease of following the route : ★★★☆☆ Average
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

at point 4, the path is not obvious//moreover, it is on the left and not on the right//even though there is a Lorraine cross sign and it is precisely this symbol that you should follow to Senanque Abbey if you stay on the path instead of turning left at point 5. I and we do not regret this route at the bottom of the canyon....there is simply a wall, a small cliff face about 2.5 metres high, which prevents bikes from passing... Once you reach the abbey, turn right and continue climbing to the right to reach the road. There is a fork in the track on the climb and there are no signs. This very interesting route runs along the bottom of a narrow canyon, so there was no mobile phone reception.A prehistoric river has carved out the walls, making this route very interesting.

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brayman
brayman

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of your route : Feb 05, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

Experience on 4 February:
We set out on this hike with a group of 12 friends, one of whom had obtained the route from another hiking website.
There was no specific information. At the only signposted crossroads, we continued straight ahead, reassured by numerous highly visible yellow PR markings. After 30-45 minutes of easy walking, we came to a steep escarpment, which could only be crossed via a narrow, slippery rock ledge with a steep drop. Two friends went ahead "to have a look" and gave up after a tricky return.
Common sense prevailed: we returned to where we started (the consolation was that this section from the crossroads offers some beautiful views of the cliffs)
Today I see that the problem is clearly mentioned on the Visorando website

This is not an advertisement but an opportunity to thank you for the care taken in creating the routes and for the feedback from the field.

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Berit71
Berit71

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 20, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A very beautiful and fairly easy hike, although it can sometimes be a little difficult to find your way as there are many small paths that can be confusing. The landscapes are magnificent. One small downside is the parking fee in Gordes. If I do this hike again, I will start from the car park in the village of drystone shelters, which is free (at least out of season).

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AnneB35
AnneB35

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A magnificent hike with very different landscapes along the way. A must-do if you're in the area and have never been to Sénanque Abbey. The hike isn't very long (2 hours 50 minutes), so it's easy to do in half a day. Follow the route carefully as there are some small paths that can be confusing.

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ritondesalpes
ritondesalpes
• Edited:

hello,
This is a beautiful loop trail through the Gorges to Sénanque Abbey that we did on 22 October 2024. The trail is pleasant, but we were unable to visit the abbey because we arrived after closing time. It is therefore important to check the opening hours in advance.
It is also possible to do this route by parking at Sénanque Abbey. When parking in Gordes, there is a parking fee, which cost us €10 per vehicle

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stef&vero
stef&vero

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Nov 10, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

Nice circular walk from Gordes to Senanque Abbey. The only thing missing was the lavender fields in bloom at the end. But that's to be expected in November :-)! The walking time indicated is generous. The route is easy to follow.

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ritondesalpes
ritondesalpes

Overall rating : 4.3 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 22, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A beautiful tour through Provençal countryside, including a visit to Sénanque Abbey and the village of Gordes. Best done in autumn or early spring to avoid the summer heat

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Plu0669
Plu0669

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Oct 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A superb hike that took around three hours, including a few breaks and detours. No major difficulties to report, and it's easily doable with a four-legged companion—mine loved it!
Beautiful scenery all along the way and the abbey is really lovely to see!

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EricVal
EricVal

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 21, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant route, without any major difficulties. Be careful with parking in Gordes, it's a real rip-off.

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Ange Heureux
Ange Heureux

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of your route : Sep 09, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Very busy route : No

A pleasant walk, not as shady as you might think. Having done it, we think it would be better to start/finish in the village of Les Bories. The car park is free, you start off with a walk in the countryside, you get the climb out of the way early on, and you can decide at the end whether or not to visit the village of Les Bories (you can already see quite a lot of it from the walk).
In short, a hike worth doing.

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Emmadetri
Emmadetri

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of your route : Aug 12, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Ease of following the route : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Very busy route : No

The circuit is mostly shaded, which is very welcome in this hot region.

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